Star Wars: The Secret Legacy
by Silmae564
Summary: As the war between the First Order and the Resistance rages on, bounty hunter Mesa Wren has one goal in mind: the survival of herself and her crew of outcasts. However, a storm is gathering on the horizon. Secrets will be revealed that have the power to change the course of history on a galactic scale, and Mesa and her friends will soon be forced to pick a side- or lose everything.
1. Chapter 1: Narrow Escapes

**A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….**

**Star Wars**

**The Secret Legacy**

"Are you sure about this?" Edonia Jarrus asks, shielding her eyes with one hand as she squinted out across the shimmering desert.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I reply, trying to sound way more confident than I felt. Edy was my best friend and my copilot; for some reason Twi'leks and Mandalorians have always gotten along well – just don't ask me why because I don't have a good explanation.

Edy's head tails twitch with annoyance, and I know she's right. This is a fool's mission, but it's one I have to go through with. Seventeen days ago, the First Order captured one of my crew. We've been trying to find him ever since, and yesterday we found a First Order officer wandering around outside a Mos Eisley cantina who accidentally told us about a secret research lab in the desert. We followed his directions to this empty patch of desert, hoping desperately that this wasn't one of Hux's elaborate traps. It's not like we had a choice. You never leave a friend behind.

I look around at my crew. There's Edy, a dark blue Twi'lek with a strange sense of humor and a long thin scar down the left side of her face. She's been with me ever since I rescued her from execution at the hands of the First Order. Kyrbacca I've known since childhood; he's also the only albino Wookie to have been born in the last thousand years. Mog, well, MO-9 if you want his real name, is our smart-mouthed astromech droid. Edy put him together from a pile of spare parts one night when she couldn't sleep. Then there's me, Mesa Wren, a Mando-human half-breed: short brown hair that's so pale it's almost blond, green eyes, and a place on Mandalore' s most wanted list (It's a long story). The last member of the crew is Aiden Myrlod, a human with dark skin and black hair, uncanny fighting abilities, and the dreamiest eyes I've ever seen – not that I would ever tell him that, of course. His goofy grin lights up in my mind as I think about him, and a dark rage bubbles up inside of me as I think about what those First Order nerfherders might be doing to him. We're a band of misfits and outcasts, it's true, but we're all we've got. We're getting him back – even if we have to take on Supreme Leader Snoke himself.

And if they've hurt him, I swear to God I'll kill them all.

"Grab your weapons, guys," I say, "this could get messy." Edy nods as she unfolds her bo staff and twirls it experimentally. Behind me, Kyrbacca cracks his knuckles and growls. His crossbow-style blaster has been locked and loaded since we got off the _Ghost_; the nine-foot tall furball is just itching for an excuse to use it. I slide my twin blaster pistols out of their holsters and set them to the highest energy setting – strong enough to fry a wompa with a single shot. The pouch that hangs from my hip is heavy with thermal detonators. I smile grimly behind the T-shaped visor of my Mandalorian helmet. "Let's do this."

I step forward, and my skin tingles painfully as I walk through the holographic projection hiding our destination. As soon as I'm through, I see a huge, ugly, sprawling expanse of military bunkers and research facilities. Edy gasps as she comes to stand beside me.

"Aaarghaugha" Kyrbacca rumbles quietly.

"I know, bud," I say. "I didn't expect it to be this big either." We slink closer in, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. Thankfully, night is approaching fast. I know I won't be spotted; one of the upgrades I made to my armor is camouflage mode. Edy and Kyrbacca don't have that luxury, but the fading light make it fairly easy for us to make it to the base's perimeter fence without any trouble.

"All right, Edy, do your thing." I grin. Watching Edy and Mog do their thing is always fun for me. She pulls out a small pocket comp, and its holographic screen glows faintly in the dusk. Mog opens one of the attachments on his astromech arm: a small drill bit. A soft whine fills the air as he drills into the wall until he finds a control line. He switches gadgets and taps into the wire's feed.

"Gotcha!" Edy exclaims quietly. Her fingers dance across the keyboard. "And…we're in. They'll never know what hit 'em. Let's see here…security disabled, communications, elevators, weapons lockers…and just for kicks, temperature controls on flux." She chuckles as Mog unhooks the wires from his attachment arm and squawks something about her losing her touch.

"Your logic circuits must be fried, Rustbucket, I just hacked that in record time," Edy gives the astromech a playful shove. "They'll be onto us soon; we better move."

I nod, as adrenaline floods my veins: heart pumping hard, mind racing, chills running up and down my spine. As much as I hate to admit it, I love the thrill of battle – more than I probably should. Must be the Mando in me.

"Let's go."

Kyrbacca roars and lobs a grenade over the wall. It explodes, and cries of pain and panic shatter the silence of a desert night. The Wookie loses no time; he takes a running start and launches himself over the wall. Edy pulls out her grappler and uses it to scale the wall, no more than a second behind Kyrbacca. Mog retreats safely out of blaster range; his job is done here. I make a mental note to have Edy give him some weapons later, then sprint off along the base's perimeter. Kyrbacca and Edy are only a distraction on this mission; it's my job to get to Aiden and make sure that we both get out alive. At least that's the plan, anyway. And plans, of course, have a nasty habit of going wrong.

The hot sand muffles the sound of my heavy combat boots as I race along the wall, looking for the best place to climb over. Finally, I see a place where the desert wind has created a huge dune that rises almost halfway up the wall. I'm now only seven or eight feet below its top, instead almost fifteen. A Mandalorian jetpack would be really handy in these situations, I think to myself as I look at the wall. Of course, that's the one piece of equipment I don't have. I can hear shouts and blasters off in the distance to my right; there's no time to be wasted on wishful thinking. Quickly, I glance left and right to see if there's anyone nearby, and then, seeing no one, I do something incredibly foolish.

I open my mind, losing myself in an unseen river of power that flows through everyone and everything. I open my eyes and the Force rushes through me like a tidal wave. I bend my legs and launch myself into the air, clearing the wall by several yards. I duck into a combat roll as I land, but I'm instantly back on my feet, a blaster in each hand. There's no one in sight, but I keep my eyes open, although I know the Force will warn me long before anyone gets within striking range.

I reach out with my mind once again, searching for Aiden. I know his presence well, and it isn't long before I sense him, in a low, gray building off to my left. I sprint towards it, careful to keep to the shadows even in my haste. My armor's camouflage can only do so much: A well-trained eye would still see a blur of movement and an ownerless shadow. I dive for cover behind a lopsided stack of crates and study the front of the prison. The blast doors are shut, and there doesn't appear to be another way in. I huff with frustration. I've already used my power more than I should, and forcing the doors open seems to be my only option, unless…I scan the roof of the building, and, sure enough, I see a circulation vent, right where it should be. I chuckle grimly to myself. Stormtroopers really are predictable.

I pry the vent off and shimmy into the duct. Still relying on the Force to guide me, I slink through the building's circulation system, every sense on high alert. There's dust everywhere, and I fight the urge to sneeze. He's close; I can feel it. I wriggle towards the nearest vent and punch it as hard as I can. The grate pops out of casing and crashes to the floor with a clang. I drop to the ground close behind, shooting at everything that moves. When the dust settles, a dozen stormtroopers are lying on the floor, unmoving. I'm in a long hallway lined with cells. I run to the nearest door. Aiden is here; I'm done playing it safe. I reach for the power of the Force and rip the door out of its casing, sending it crashing into the opposite wall. I step through the gaping hole into the cell, not sure what I'm going to find.

Aiden looks up when I enter the cell. His wrists are cuffed to the back wall, and his face is streaked with blood – I don't know if it's his or someone else's. A little of both, probably.

"What took you so long?" he mumbles. From the looks of it, he's barely conscious.

"Quit whining," I say. "I'm here, aren't I? And I'm gonna get you out of here." I flick my wrist, and the restraints holding him pop open with a click. He nods gratefully and starts to rub feeling back into his hands. I toss him one of my blaster pistols, and he follows me out into the hall.

Surprisingly, there is no one in sight. The lack of opposition makes me uneasy as we race through the prison. Other than the guards I took out on my way in, there is no one in this entire building. No one. Even the entrance is unguarded. I shrug off my anxieties and fish a thermal detonator out of my bag. Aiden and I retreat around the corner, where I arm the device and hurl it at the door. An explosion shakes the building, and we dart out into the night. Once again, there's no one in sight.

I've got a bad feeling about this.

"Edy, can you hear me?" I hope I sound far more composed than I feel.

"Roger that, Cap, whaddo you need?"

"First of all, don't call me 'Cap'," I reply testily. "I have a perfectly good name and I would prefer if you used it. Secondly, I've got Aiden. Get out of there."

"You got it, Cap." Edy disables her commlink before I can fire off a snarky reply. I settle for a good old-fashioned eye roll instead. Aoden sees it and snickers.

"Face it, Mesa, you're never gonna get the last word with that girl." He's not even trying to hide a smirk that lights up his face with a mischievous light. My heart is beating hard, and I'm not sure it's only because of the terror of a life-or-death scenario.

"Like I do with you, you mean?" I ask, flashing him the most innocent smile I can manage. He can't see it, obviously, since I have my helmet on, but he gets the message. Aiden opens his mouth like he's about to fire off a smart-mouthed retort, but then he changes his mind and shuts it again. "Come on, let's get out of here." Stealth is no longer a factor, so I head straight for the main gates, and, if I'm honest with myself, I'm actually hoping that someone will try to stop us. I want to hurt these monsters, pay them back for all they've done to us.

Today, it seems, I will not be disappointed. A squad of stromtroopers steps out of a barracks into the street, levelling their blasters at us. Aiden swears under his breath, and I ignore him.

"Reminds you of that time on Coruscant, doesn't it?" I say.

"You and I remember Coruscant very differently, it seems," he replies with a smile.

In spite of myself, I grin, too. In the same half-second, I whip a trio of thermal detonators out of my satchel and lob them into the midst of the battalion of stormtroopers. The explosion that follows is deafening, and I pull hard on my connection to the Force, turning it into a protective bubble around Jarden and I to shield as shrapnel rockets through the air. The five or six troopers still on their feet open fire, which I deflect around us as Aiden and I start shooting back. Right on cue, another group of stormtroopers marches into view. It's starting to look like we're gonna have to fight our way through the entire First Order to get out of here.

Bring it on, bucketheads.

Aiden and I push forward, staying close, covering each other's backs. I don't have to use the Force to tell him what I'm about to do; we predict each other's movements perfectly, our bodies moving together in a complicated dance that leaves a swath of chaos and destruction in our wake. I more alive than I ever have been right now, but I don't have time to think about that. I'm fighting for my life here, ducking and dodging and shooting and deflecting blaster fire and striking out when a stormtrooper makes the mistake of getting just a little bit too close.

Suddenly, we're right in front of the gate. I'd been so absorbed in the heat of battle that I hadn't realized we made it. The only things left between us and freedom are a few battered stormtroopers and a wall of blue energy. Aiden can handle the bucketheads. I grab my last thermal detonator and chuck it at the generator next to the gatehouse. It flies across the space…and stops in midair, hovering a few feet away from the generator.

"What the heck?!" Aiden exclaims in surprise as it disarms itself and flies into the energy gate, disintegrating on impact. My heart sinks as I realize what's happening.

"Edy!" I shout into my commlink. "You have to get out of here! GO! Don't wait for us, just get as far away as you can!"

"No way am I leaving you behind," she retorts stubbornly. "I'm comin' in after you two."

"Get out of here, and that's an order! Ren's here, Edy! He's here! Go, take the ship and go now! We'll be o-" My commlink dies in a fizzle of static. "-kay."

A red light glows in the door to a nearby building, and a low thrum fills the air. I sense a presence I haven't felt in a long time. Slowly, Kylo Ren steps out into the street. I don't know how he found me. I don't want to know how he found me. He looks paler, more haunted than I remember – and that's saying something. He's dressed in all black, as usual, and his long dark hair looks like it hasn't been washed in more than a week. There are dark circles under his even darker eyes, and there's a scar that snakes all the way down the right side of his face. Don't I wish I was the one who put that there. This sorry excuse for a human being took everything from me, a long time ago.

We've met before; he knows what I am, so there's no point in trying to hide it. I reach into my satchel and take out the only thing left in it. It's a thin silver handle, about eighteen inches long, with a single rectangular button on halfway down one side of it. I ignite my lightsaber and step forward, the familiar hum of its violet-white blade steeling my resolve.

I scream and charge at the murderous traitor as I whip my blade up and aim for his throat. He blocks, and his triple-pronged red lightsaber locks with mine. For just a second, our faces are inches apart, both contorted with hatred for the other. Then I shove him back, and the link is broken. We circle carefully, each waiting for the other one to make the first mistake. Unfortunately, it turns out to be me. My ankle twists on a broken section of the walkway, and I fall to one knee. Kylo takes advantage of the opportunity and swings at my head. I block with my blade; then I grab his arm and use it as a ladder to pull myself up. I jump back, taking a wild cut at his legs as I do. A long red gash opens across his thigh, and I see his face contort in pain. A wild look fills his eyes, and he abandons all reason.

He throws himself at me, cutting and slashing wildly. I block every swing easily. I think I know how to beat him.

"You're a coward, Ben Solo," I say. "I know what you did. I was there. I saw you kill him."

He screams in rage and doubles his attacks. I keep pushing.

"You're a murderer and a coward. You killed your own father, and why? Because you were afraid of a shriveled old man. You disgust me, you know that, right? And no matter what you do, no matter who many people you kill, your father will always haunt you."

"Shut UP!" he yells, and his blade cuts a murderous arc through the air. I take exactly one step back, and the red laser whistles past my face. Suddenly, Kylo's angry expression turns to shock as he realizes that he's stretched too far, thrown himself off balance. Then he's on the ground, the tip of my blade millimeters away from severing his spine.

"What are you gonna do?" he wheezes. "Kill me?"

"Nope," I say. "I'm not a monster like you." I pick up a large chunk of concrete with the Force and smash it down on his head, knocking him out instantly. Then I turn off my lightsaber and walk back to Aiden.

"Let's get out of here before Snoke himself decides to show up," he says.

"Let's do that." I smile weakly. The gate is still up, but that's not a problem. I simply use the Force to lift Aiden and I over it; at this point I don't really care who sees me do so. The damage has been done, and only time will tell what comes of it.


	2. Chapter 2: Hunter and Smuggler

Edy brings our ship, the _Ghost_, a diamond-shaped orange and white fighter, to pick us up a few miles from the base. By this time, Aiden is staggering from exhaustion, although he refuses to let me help him. Typical Aiden behavior, which gives me hope that his imprisonment didn't do any permanent damage.

I help follow Aiden onto the _Ghost_, scanning the horizon for any sign of pursuit. As soon as Edy takes off, Aiden collapses onto his bunk, and I head towards the upper turret. Kyrbacca is already positioned in the lower turret. In the background, I hear Mog grumbling about something or other. We're all back together again, but we'll only stay that way if we can get out of here before the entire First Order fleet comes down on us.

Edy guns it, and we're soon leaving Tatooine's atmosphere at breakneck pace.

"As soon as we're out of the planet's gravitational field, take us straight to hyperspace," I tell her. "Let's lose these guys as soon as possible."

"You got it, Cap."

I'm starting to think we're going to make a clean escape, which, of course, is when disaster rears its ugly head. A Star Destroyer falls out of hyperspace – directly in our path.

I curse and fire up the ship's guns.

"Looks like we're gonna have to fight our way out," I say.

Edy echoes my original thoughts, if slightly more creatively. In seconds, TIE fighters are screaming by, and Kyrbacca and I have our work cut out for us to keep the _Ghost_ from being blown out of the sky. There's no time to think; if it moves, it gets shot.

"Edy! Get us out of here!"

"I'm working on it!" she snaps irritably. The ship shudders as several of the TIEs find their mark.

"Well, work on it faster!" I retort.

"Shut up already!" A mechanical whine fills the air and the entire ship starts to vibrate. I watch as the stars turn into streaks of light, then disappear completely as we make the jump to hyperspace. I slump back into my chair with relief as I realize that we're home free. My limbs ache with tiredness, and I want nothing more than to go to sleep – which is exactly what I do.

When I emerge from the turret a few hours later, the entire crew is in the cabin. Aiden is stretched out on his bunk, reluctantly allowing Edy to stitch up a nasty cut on his forehead, all the while loudly insisting that he's fine. Kyrb is leaned against the wall, muttering to himself as he makes minor adjustments to his crossbow. I smile as I watch their antics. My crew is the only family I have left, and I'll do whatever it takes to protect them.

Kyrb looks up and warbles a playful greeting. I grin. "Well, you're one to talk about the state of my hair. When was the last time you took a bath? Three weeks ago?"

Kyrbacca loudly asserts that it has, in fact, only been two and a half weeks as Edy and Aiden double over with laughter. I join in the laughter. Kyrb roars playfully and chases me around the room. When he catches up with me, he flips me over his shoulder dumps me on a bunk, pinning me there an making Edy and Aiden laugh even harder.

I try to wriggle free, but Kyrbacca just tightens his grip. There's a reason you don't pick a fight with a Wookie.

"Ok, ok, you win," I say, holding my hands up in defeat. Kyrbacca lets go of me and sits up, a smug grin on his face. I roll my eyes. "Still need a bath, though," I mutter.

Playful fighting is about to break out once again when Mog rolls in, chirping excitedly that we're nearing the hideout. Home. It feels like we've been away for ages. I dash down the corridor to the cockpit and slide into the pilot's seat just as the _Ghost_ drops out of hyperspace. And there it is: Cloud City, once a prosperous mining operation led by Lando Calrissian, it was abandoned during the Rebellion and left that way. No one comes here anymore, but all of the systems are still fully functional, making it a perfect location for someone who, let's just say, doesn't want to be found.

I maneuver the ship down carefully onto the landing platform, excited by the prospect of a real meal and having my own room. The others join me in the cockpit, all just as excited as I am to be home. When we land, I'm the first one out the door. There's someone I need to see.

I dart through the upper levels, my senses on high alert for anything that might be amiss. So far, no one has found our base, but carelessness has killed more than one good Mandalorian. I don't intend to be one of them.

I walk to a small room on the far end of the third level down. The door is closed, and I hesitate to open it. I don't know what I'll find. He was so weak when we found him…so close to death…I shrug off those thoughts and knock softly.

"Come in." His gruff voice is muffled by the door, but I would recognize it anywhere. I breathe a silent sigh of relief as the door slides open. I step through, a grin breaking out across my face as I see Han Solo standing there, looking for all the world as if he hadn't gotten stabbed through the gut with a lightsaber just a few weeks ago.

"Mesa, is that you?" He puts down the blaster that he'd had pointed at my head.

"It's me," I say, choking back tears. Solo is the closest thing to a father I've ever had; I don't know what I would've done if he had died. I cross the room in three strides and he pulls me into a hug. "It's me," I whisper again as the tears begin to fall.

A few minutes later, we're sitting at a table in the dining hall, and I'm telling him about everything that's happened over the last few weeks. Han listens and occasionally asks a question, but otherwise, he lets me tell the tale as I see fit, knowing that I need to vent. It must seem strange to someone else: a bounty hunter confiding in one of the most wanted smugglers in the galaxy, but for me, it's the most natural thing in the world, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Well, looks like you've had your work cut out for you," he says when I've finished.

I nod. "The war has given us a lot to do, but it's also made it a lot harder to get around undetected. And whoever wins, sooner or later, is gonna start cracking down on us. It's just a matter of time, and this place can't hide us forever." I gesture to the beautiful room we're in. "I don't give a fuck who wins this stupid war, but I am not going to let my friends become casualties in it."

Han nods. "You've done good, Spitfire. Look around; nobody's died yet. Hell, even I'm still alive, and I got skewered by a lightsaber!"

"I know," I say, "but there's something else."

"They're looking for you again," he guesses.

I nod.

"And by them, I assume we're both talking about your mother's people?"

The Mandalorians. I nod. "There's a price on my head."

"How much?"

"Seven hundred thousand credits," I say.

"Seven?! I'm only worth five! What kind of scam is this?" I chuckle. Han always did have a big ego.

"Well, clearly, I'm better than you at what I do," I say. "I don't dump my cargo at the first sign of an Imperial cruiser."

"Listen here, you, even I get boarded sometimes," Han retorted. "Do you think I had a choice?"

I burst into fits of laughter. "It's good to have you back, Han."

"You're a real pain in the ass, you know that, Mesa?"

"And whose fault is that?" I ask, smiling innocently. Han opens his mouth for a snarky reply, then shuts it.

He knows exactly whose fault it is.


	3. Chapter 3: Nightmare

After talking to Han, I go back to the first level and quietly slip into my room. A few minutes later, after the luxury of a hot shower, I collapse onto my bed and let the soft embrace of sleep carry me away…

_Fires burn all around, and the air is heavy with smoke. An old man falls to his knees in front of a flaming temple. A small blue and white R2 unit watches from his side. The man hangs his head in despair as the roof of the temple collapses in on itself…_

…_An island, in the middle of a blue-green sea. An ancient tree grows in its center. The man from the temple is there, and I lock eyes with him as I fly past. I see his eyes widen with shock and recognition before my vision whips me on towards a gaping hole in the ground, rimmed with seaweed and reeking of darkness. I'm pulled through the gaping jaws of the earth, and I'm in a cave standing face to face with my reflection. Then, suddenly, it's not my reflection, but someone else: a young Jedi with a blue lightsaber, wavy brown hair, dark clothes, and an angry look in his eyes. He looks at me, and his lips move, but no sound reaches me. It doesn't need to, though. I know what he said. I've been here before. "Chosen One." The mysterious Jedi fades, and I'm staring into my reflection once again…_

…"_If you think I'm going to give up my child, you've got another thing coming, you bastard!" my mother yells. Her face is a mask of fury, and her brightly colored hair is standing up in wild spikes, giving her a look that reminds me of a wildcat._

"_Sabine, be reasonable," the man says. He is bald and scarred, dressed in garish gold robes, with a calculatingly evil gleam in his eyes. I see my younger self, hiding in the kitchen cupboards, watching through the keyhole as her mother faces off against the most evil man in the galaxy. _

"_I'd rather die than give her to you!" Mother drew her blasters faster than the eye could follow, firing shot after shot straight for Snoke's heart. He deflects them to the side with a wave of his hand, and a wicked smile twists his ugly face into something even more hideous. Mother's blasters fly across the room, ripped from her hands by the Force. She balls her fists and prepares to launch herself at Snoke. His hands come up, and I know what's going to happen. I scream and throw myself in front of her, but of course I'm not really here. There's nothing I can do – no way to stop what happens next._

_My mother starts forward, and Snoke blasts her with Force lightning, throwing her across the room to crash into the wall with a thud. She slumps to the floor and lays there. Then she's pulling herself up, chest heaving as she struggles for breath. I can see the pain etched on her face as she runs at him again. He shocks her again. And again. And again. And again. Every time she gets up. Every time she gets beaten back down, but she's not broken yet. My younger self is crying now, tears streaming down her face, and I know that my face is tear-streaked as well. _

_Finally comes the time when she has nothing left, and my mother stays down. Snoke's eyes gleam with a red light as he stands over her broken body. _

"_How does it feel to know that your noble sacrifice…has been for naught?" he asks. _

"_You'll never win," my mother says, fighting for every word. "You have no idea what you've done here tonight." She laughs bitterly, coughing up blood. "You have no idea." _

_Her eyes close, and I know she's gone. "No!" my younger self launches out of the cabinet, running straight at Snoke. Her tear-streaked face is contorted with rage and grief as she pulls one of my mother's blasters to her and fires it straight into Snoke's face. Caught off-guard, he had no chance to deflect the laser blast. His scream of agony fills the night as she fires again. He deflects the second blast, and a forked burst of Force lightning shoots at my younger self. She raises her hands in desperation, knowing she's about to die. _

_My younger self opens her eyes, and, to her complete and utter shock, she's not dead. My younger self stares in wonder at the lightning she's holding in her bare hands. She closes her hands, and it flickers and dies. Snoke, too, is staring open-mouthed at my hands. "Impossible."_

_My younger self turns and runs, stopping only to pick up my mother's helmet off the floor where it had fallen during the battle. Snoke reaches up to touch the burn that covers half of his grotesque excuse for a face, and his hand jerks back in pain. Then, as if suddenly noticing that he is being watched, he turns toward me. Our eyes met, and a satisfied expression crosses his face. Then he laughs, and cold, twisted sound that turns my blood to ice in my veins. "Foolish child, run as far as you want, you can't escape from your destiny."_

_I lunge at him, determined to break his neck…_

…_Violent, red-tinged images flash through my vision, moving too fast to follow…_

I wake with a cry, sitting up so quickly it makes my head spin. My heart pounds, and as I look in the mirror, I see that my face is red from crying. I put my head in my hands and try to catch my breath. The nightmares have been getting worse lately. I don't know what they mean, but I'm certain it's nothing good.

The door to my room slides open, and Edy steps in. "Nightmares again?" she asks quietly.

I nod. "Did you hear something?"

"Girl, you were screaming like all hell was trying to murder you. I'm surprised the entire galaxy didn't hear you."

"Great," I moan.

"Was it the same one?" Edy asks, sitting down next to me on the bed.

"Exactly the same," I tell her. "I wish I knew what it all meant."  
"Well, there's not much you can do about that," Edy says thoughtfully, "especially not in the middle of the night. Just try and get some rest, okay? I'm right next door if you need me."

I nod, and Edy gives me a brief hug before heading back to her room. I lay back down, but my racing thoughts make it impossible to sleep, and for that, I'm grateful.


	4. Chapter 4: Narrow Escapes

"Edy!" I yell as I barrel down the stairs. "Aiden! Kyrbacca! We've got trouble!" I barrel into the hangar, and Edy's face pops out from under the _Ghost_, confusion and concern written all across it. I skid to a halt and take half a second to catch my breath.

"What's going on, hotshot?" Han asks, stepping out from behind the ship from another direction.

"Dreadnaught…First Order…they've found us," I wheeze, more from disbelief than lack of oxygen. "We need to move – Now!" Aiden and Kyrb come racing around the corner, and I quickly fill them in on the situation. Mog warbles something about it being the end of the world as we know it. I ignore him and hurry everyone onto the ship as explosions begin to rock our hidden, floating fortress. "Edy, get us in the air!" I yell as I slam the hatch shut behind me. "Aiden, Kyrb, turrets! Mog, make sure this ship stays in one piece! Go, go, go!"

I race into the cockpit and flop into the pilot's seat. Han stand behind me. His fingers are twitching nervously, and I know he'd rather be the one flying, but he makes no move to take my place. Edy's saying something to me, and I only half-register when she tells me that our left-side shields are offline. Han mutters a Huttese curse under his breath, which I ignore.

"They'll be watching the hangar entrance," Aiden says over the coms.

"That's why we're making our own entrance," I reply snarkily. My fingers dance across the controls. I fly the ship straight at the wall opposite the hangar entrance and fire the _Ghost'_s nose cannon at it. The ship rockets out into space amid a shower of debris. I immediately punch the hyperdrive, and the stars quickly elongate into mesmerizing streaks of light. A white flash, and then there is nothing beyond the windshield but darkness.

I slump back in the seat and breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

The blaring of an alarm jerks me back into the world of the wakeful just as the _Ghost_ dropped out of hyperspace. A pale blue orb – the ice planet Hoth – hangs in the sky in front of us. I grab the controls and begin the descent. I hear footsteps behind me as I maneuver our little gunship through the tricky crosswinds of Hoth's upper atmosphere, and then a muttered curse.

"Hello, Han," I say without taking my eyes off the instrument panel in front of me.

"You didn't say we were coming _here_… to this icy, tauntaun-infested death trap!" Han protests loudly.

"And this would be why," I mutter.

"Heard that."

"Good." Han continues to complain as I take the _Ghost_ down through a narrow ravine in the side of a glacier to a hidden hangar: a forgotten relic of the Rebellion days. My mother had possessed a holomap that showed its location; I never thought I'd be desperate enough to use it. As much as I hated to admit it, Solo had a point. This place really was a death trap. A slight jolt rocked the cockpit as the _Ghost's_ landing gear engaged.

"What is this place? My headtails are freezing!" I hadn't realized Edy had come into the cockpit until she said that.

I sigh. "It's the god-forsaken middle of nowhere. We're going to finish the _Ghost's _repairs, then get out of here. Unless of course someone else has a better idea?"

The silence was so complete you could have heard a speck of dust fall.

"Then we're agreed." I say. "Now let's get to work: The sooner we get started, the sooner we can leave."

A few hours later, I'm drenched in sweat and trying to coerce the cranky hyperdrive into functionality with a hydrospanner when Aiden walks in.

"Hey," he says.

"Hey yourself," I say, mostly ignoring him. Or trying to, anyway. My heart is pounding away like a rabid drummer, but I'll never tell him that. I chose the life of a Jedi – or it chose me? I don't know anymore. Either way, I am a Jedi, and Jedi are not to become attached to anyone, no matter how kind or smart or brave or funny or attractive they may be…or even if they're all of that and more and the sight of them makes your soul want to sing.

"So, things have been pretty crazy lately…"

"Mhm."

"I don't remember the last time we actually got a chance to talk." 

"Yeah, me either." Don't look, don't engage, remember who you're supposed to be! 

"We almost died back there."

"I know." He inches closer, and I stiffen involuntarily. I try to suppress the feelings welling up inside of me, but it's much too late for that. I turn to look at him, and my heart does somersaults as a gentle heat wells up inside of me. His deep, dark eyes meet my gaze, and I can feel my resistance failing quickly.

"I just…" he pauses, then starts again. "I never got to say this earlier, but…thanks for saving my life back on Tatooine."

"You're welcome," I say. Every nerve in my body is standing at attention. I want this – I don't – I need this – I'm fine – No I'm not – Yes I am – This is crazy – Yes it is – I want it!

It happens almost before I realize what's happening. Aiden leans forward, and my eyes widen as his lips meet mine and a flood of joy washes over me. I drop the hydrospanner and pull this boy – this crazy, irresponsible, exasperating boy – closer to me with a desperation I didn't know I had. His arms slide around my shoulders, and our bodies press together. This is forbidden, but how can something be so wrong that feels so right? We kiss again, and sparks of electricity shoot through me. Any doubt I had was gone – this is where I want to be. Here, in Aiden's arms, forever. If I could freeze time I would. We pull apart just long enough to look into each other's eyes and know we're thinking the same thing. Then sparks fly inside me as our lips meet again. Wild, dangerous, wonderful thoughts flood through my mind; I try to suppress them, but they only come back stronger.

"Ahem."

Aiden and I jerk apart. Han is standing in the doorway wearing three shirts, two coats, mittens, and a hat. 

"If you two are done…" he pauses and stares at us each in turn. My face flames with embarrassment as I meet his gaze. How far would it have gone if we had not been discovered? I don't know, and I'm afraid of what the answer might be. "…we're ready to get going."

Han stalks out. Adrian and I exchange an awkward glance, then follow.


	5. Chapter 5: The Things We Do For Love

Han avoids me for hours as we zoom through hyperspace, and I make no move to seek him out. It's not that I don't want to - I honestly have no idea what to say to him. Every time I close my eyes I see Aiden's face, feel the gentle press of his lips on mine, and know I can't pretend that these feelings don't exist any longer. My heart is so full it hurts. I want to sing and shout from the rooftops, but of course that's out of the question considering the act would probably get us all killed.

In the end, I just continue avoiding everyone. There's a lot I have to work through. High on the list of potential problems is the Jedi code. I am supposed to live by the code - or risk becoming a Sith. And yet the code says not to become emotionally attached to anyone. I don't need to be reminded of what happened to Anakin Skywalker; I've only heard the story a thousand times. The thing is, I don't think his love for Padme was the cause of his transformation into Darth Vader. Besides, I don't feel any different than I did before, and it's not like I haven't ignored the Jedi code in the past when it conflicted with the Mandalorian way.

Mandalore. Home. I wish I could go back, but that would be suicidal. No, until I can clear my name, I can never see my home again.

"Coming out of hyperspace now." Edy's voice echoes through the comm. I brace myself just in time for the lurch that signifies the ship dropping out of hyperspace into realspace. Satisfied that the ship is safe for now, at least, I flop onto my bunk and lie there, unmoving. No more than ten seconds later, the ship rocks as a barrage of laser fire hits the _Ghost_'s shields. I curse and sit up.

My helmet flies across the room into my outstretched hand and I slam it on. Multiple displays light up around the edges of my visor. I scan them quickly; so far, the _Ghost_ has sustained no damage, which is good but unlikely to last. My ship is a lightweight blockade runner; she wasn't built to take the heat a star destroyer or other such heavy-hitters can give. She's not a fighter, and neither am I.

I groan aloud. I don't want any part of this war. It's already taken too much from me. Yet the war seems stubbornly set on dragging me into the fray.

"Edy, get us out of here!" I shout into my commlink.

"They can track us through hyperspace, dammit!" she shouts back. "We make another jump, and we're outta fuel!"

Kyrrbacca roars in agreement, then in frustration as one of his shots missed an incoming TIE.

"We need to get out of range of that Star Destroyer," Aiden chimes in. "If we do the TIEs will fall back."

"We can't burn fuel like that for long," Han retorts.

"Do you have a better idea?" I snap as I barge into the cockpit and drop into my seat. "No? All right then, we're going with Aiden's plan. Full throttle, Edy. Kyrb, until I get back, you're acting captain. Congratulations and try not to die."

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Han asks.

"They can track us through hyperspace," I say, barely controlling my rising frustration. "I'm going to go disable that tracker." I storm out without a backwards glance.

"I heard what you said back there," Aiden says as he meets me in the hall. His dark eyes are filled with concern. "It's suicide, Mesa! There's got to be another way!"

"There isn't," I say, and I know it's true.

"Then I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not. I need you here, to take care of the others. Besides, I can't lose you again." I kiss him gently, quickly, then make a dash for the escape pods. I hear him following me, but I don't dwell on it.

I jump into one of the pods and use the Force to fire them all. This way, Aiden can't follow me, and the bucketheads on that Destroyer don't know what to shoot at. In the quiet moment before the sky alights with laserfire, I reach out with the Force one more time. Aiden's life force is a glowing beacon of hope and safety, reminding me of why I'm doing this. "I love you," I whisper, and the light that is Aiden flares briefly in response.

"I love you, too."

My pod is the only one to make it through the barrage of lasers. I jump out and destroy any storm troopers who dare to come close to me. Alarms blare throughout the ship. I don't care. I only have on mission: Make sure my crew gets out of here alive. I left the darksaber back on the ship; there's no way I would risk it falling into the hands of the First Order. Today, I fight with a single blade, my old lilac saber that I made with Master Ahsoka. The hum of my lightsaber is comforting as I slice my way towards the override for the tracker. It's almost like having my old Master at my side once again. She was like a sister to me; I wonder where she is now. Probably fighting with the Resistance, she always was a noble warrior like that. I know what she would say to my unwillingness to join the fight; she would call it cowardice, and maybe she's right. Right now, though, all that matters is making sure the ones I care about are safe. I close my mind to that train of thought and level the next seven stormtroopers with one well-placed lightsaber throw.

I've arrived at the override controls. I slash through the door and throw it open with the Force; I've long since given up trying to control the rage coursing through me. The Jedi were wrong. Emotion is power, and power keeps you alive. I pull the override and shout into my comm.

"Edy! Now! Go!"

"Not without you!" she yells back.

I reach out with the Force and flip the controls to send the _Ghost_ into hyperspace. A stray blaster bolt hits the back of my helmet in that same instant, and everything goes black.


	6. Chapter 6: Dancing with the Darkness

Waking up after being knocked unconscious is never pleasant. Sadly, I have been in this situation enough times that I can accurately generalize - call it an occupational hazard, if you will. My head is pounding, and opening my eyes is difficult. It feels like they've been glued shut. I force them to open and take in my surroundings. I'm in a small cell, maybe eight feet across, suspended in midair. All of my limbs are restrained by the same energy restraints the Old Republic used for Jedi. Interesting. I didn't know any of those survived the fall of the Empire, although I can't honestly say that I'm too surprised.

I reach out for the Force, only to find an invisible barrier preventing me from accessing its powers. Trying only made the pain in my head spike to ridiculous levels. Well, that explains why these things were so effective at keeping Jedi contained.

"Fuck." I said out loud. Not the most mature response, I know, but it did accurately express my feelings in that moment. I'd gotten myself into a serious mess, and I'd be lucky if I made it out with my life. I needed a plan - and fast, although I had no idea where to start.

I cursed again, in Huttese this time. Basic cuss words have nothing on what those overgrown slugs have come up with over the years.

Time dragged by for what seemed like hours, but in reality was probably only a few minutes. At some point, I dozed off again, only to be jerked awake by the pneumatic hiss of the cell door opening. A pair of stormtroopers stepped in and stood at attention, flanking the door. A third figure stormed in soon after. He was dressed in all black, with a ridiculous cape and a positively ludicrous mask. I smiled grimly.

"Hey, Ben. Did you miss me?"

"Shut up!" he growled.

I laughed. "Voice modulator? Seriously? Still trying to pretend you're Vader, huh? How's that working out for you?"

"I said shut up!"

"Eh, I can't say I'm really that afraid of you. After all, a few months ago I got to watch you get bested by some random girl who had never held a lightsaber before. Gotta say, the look on your face was pretty priceless."

He drew his arm back to hit me, then stopped. "You were there?"

"Of course I was there, dumbass. Who do you think blew the whole place to hell?"

He didn't respond. "Come with me."

One of the stormtroopers threw a switch, and the force field that had held me suspended in midair suddenly vanished. I fell forward onto my knees; there was no feeling in my legs.

"Get up," one of the stormtroopers snarled before he grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet. The other one prodded me in the back with his blaster and gestured that I should follow Kylo Ren out the door. Seeing no other viable options, as I was in no condition to fight and didn't have a weapon, I did.

A lengthy walk and several elevator rides later, we arrived at a door. It wasn't anything spectacular, but the darkness emanating from behind it was enough to give me the chills. I'd only felt something like this once before, on a night I'd rather not remember. It was the night my mother died. The door slid open, and Kylo Ren followed me through it. The stormtroopers stayed behind; fear eddied off of them in waves.

Kylo marched to the edge of a massive black dais and knelt there, bowing before the creature that sat on the black throne. I say creature because Supreme Leader Snoke has no humanity. Monster might be more appropriate. Although his hideously disfigured body is enough to make anyone shudder, a sense of pride wells up in me at the sight of my handiwork.

The Jedi of old would not approve.

I am no Jedi.

"Rise, my apprentice," Snoke hissed.

Kylo raises his head to look at him. "My lord," he says.

I sense the urge to gag, and I don't suppress it. Snoke's hideous beady eyes turn to me for the first time.

"Clearly, you have forgotten your manners, child," he said in a dangerous tone. "It is wise to bow to your betters." I feel his presence reach out to me through the Force, attempting to shove me to my knees. His touch is like ice-cold metal spiking into my mind. I resist the urge to cry out in pain and fight back.

His mind pushes harder. I can feel my resistance cracking, and in desperation, I do something that I know is forbidden. I dig deeper into my mind, down into the dark depths of anger and hurt. I open myself to the Dark Side and feel its power surge through me and out of me in a wave of energy.

"I will...never...bow...to you!" Snoke's presence lifts from my mind, and Kylo Ren looks like he has been struck. I feel an addicting surge of triumph before the gate slams shut again in my mind, and I am connected to the darkness no more.

Snoke chuckles darkly. "I see I have underestimated your abilities. No matter. Soon...very soon, you will call me Master."

"I'd rather die," I spit back.

"We shall see about that," Snoke replies. He turns to Kylo Ren. "Make her suffer."


End file.
